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It’s been about a month since I acquired Chrestomanci, so I’ve begun to learn how this whole multiple cat thing household works. Given my trepidation over a couple issues, like feeding and litter box time, I thought I’d share the tips I’ve learned for others thinking about adopting a second cat.
My biggest concern when thinking about getting another cat was how to manage feeding time. Food has always been an issue with me with cats. Dogs are easy; most gobble their dinners down right away so that makes it much easier to regulate their diets.
Cats, however, are another story. How do I make sure my cat is eating enough, or not eating too much? I’ve covered that in a previous blog, but now that I got another one these issues rose again. Chrestomanci is clearly overweight; he’s the same weight as Cole but that weight is meant to sit on Cole, whereas it clearly is not on Chresti’s tiny frame and little paws.
How do I make sure that Chresti gets a small enough portion that he loses weight, but still gets the food he needs to function? How do I keep Cole from eating out of his bowl, and reverse? I want Chresti to lose weight and Cole to not gain any, so how do I make sure they don’t share food?
I approached this problem a little too much like a dog owner; all but the most laid back of dogs guzzle whatever food they can find. I just ended up getting a new bowl for Chrestomanci and putting that down in front of him, and doing the same for Cole. Even though they eat right next to one another, at least when I first feed them they appear to stick to their own bowls.
What I don’t know, however, is whether or not that continues to happen when I’m not around to watch. Chresti’s food is usually gone by morning whereas Cole has some left; this makes sense on the one hand, given that Chresti gets less food than Cole. On the other, do I know for sure that they aren’t snacking from each other’s bowls when my back is turned?
Short of getting a kitty cam, there’s no easy way to know that. I purchased a scale and have been weighing my cats each week. So far Chresti seems to have gone down a pound or two from his initial adoption weight, whereas Cole is staying in the range he should.
Obviously we need to spend more time to see if my simple feeding plan is working, but right now it kind of seems like I was worrying for nothing. I tend to do that with my cats. Chresti didn’t appear to be eating much, if at all, in the first few days I had him. I emailed the woman who arranged his adoption in a panic, asking what kind of food he’d eaten at the shelter. By the time she got back to me, just a day later, I had to shamefully admit he was eating just fine now, and apologize for the trouble.
Of course, if you ever have any concerns about your cat’s eating habits, or how to properly feed a cat, especially if it’s overweight, give your veterinarian a call. But I think I just need to stay calm and wait and see for a bit longer how my cats do with their new arrangement.
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Cats: To Potty Train or Not to Potty Train
*(This image by Ollie Crafoord is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
